Method of forming a piped opening

ABSTRACT

THIS DISCLOSURE IS DIRECTED TO A PIPED OPENING FOR USE IN A GARMENT AND A METHOD FOR MAKING THE OPENING. THE PIPED OPENING COMPRISES CORRESPONDING DIE-CUT SLITS OR CUTS FORMED IN THE FRONT AND FACING PORTION OF A GARMENT WITH THE FLAP OR FLAPS DEFINED THEREBY BEING REVERSELY FOLDED INWARDLY OF THE RESPECTIVE FRONT AND FACING PORTIONS TO DEFINE A CORRESPONDING OPENING THEREIN. AN EDGING PATCH HAVING A COMPLEMENTARY SLIT OR CUT AND REVERSELY FOLDED PATCH FLAPS IS SECURED TO ONE OF THE PORTIONS WITH THE PATCH FLAPS POSITIONED CONTIGUOUS TO CORRESPONDING FLAPS OF THE ADJACENT PORTION TO FORM A PARTIALLY PIPED OPENING. THE FRONT AND FACING PORTIONS ARE THEN REVERSELY FOLDED TO DISPOSED THE EDGING PATCH THEREBETWEEN WITH THE RESPECTIVE OPENINGS DEFINED IN EACH, DISPOSED IN COAXIAL ALIGNMENT. THE FRONT AND FACING PORTIONS ARE THEN SECURED. THE METHOD OF FORMING SUCH PIPED OPENINGS COMPRISES THE STEPS OF FIRST ACCURATELY LOCATING AND FORMING A DIE-CUT OR SLIT IN THE PORTION OPPOSITE THE PARTIALLY FORMED OR PREFORMED PIPED OPENING IN THE OTHER PORTION OF THE GARMENT. THE FLAPS THUS DEFINED BY THE DIE-CUT OR SLIT ARE REVERSELY FOLDED INWARDLY OF ITS RESPECTIVE PORTION AND THE RESPECTIVE PORTIONS REVERSELY FOLDED SO THAT THE FLAPS OF THE DIE CUT OR SLIT OPENING ARE DISPOSED CONTIGUOUS TO THE PARTIALLY FORMED PIPED OPENING IN THE OTHER PORTION, AND THE RESPECTIVE FRONT AND FACING PORTION THEN SECURED TOGETHER.

United States Patent John L. Cruden, Jr. 1 Marvin Hollow Road, New York,N.Y.

[72] Inventor 13856 [2]] Appl. No. 739,812 [22] Filed June 25, I968 [45]Patented June 28,I97l

['54) METHOD OF FORMING A PIPED OPENING 7 Claims, 21 Drawing Figs.

511 1m.c1. D05b3/00, A4ld 27/20 501 Field ofSearch 112/264,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 439,4 I 3 10/1890 Lyon etal. 2/266 2,713,686 7/1955 Oster et al. ll2/264X 2,767,673 10/1956 Gough1l2/264X Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-Arthur T. FattibeneABSTRACT: This disclosure is directed to a piped opening for use in agarment and a method for making the opening. The

piped opening comprises corresponding die-cut slits or cuts formed inthe front and facing portion of a garment with the flap or flaps definedthereby being reversely folded inwardly of the respective front andfacing portions to define a corresponding opening therein. An edgingpatch having a complementary slit or cut and reversely folded patchflaps is secured to one of the portions with the patch flaps positionedcontiguous to corresponding flaps of the adjacent portion to form apartially piped opening. The front and facing portions are thenreversely folded to dispose the edging patch therebetween with therespective openings defined in each, disposed in coaxial alignment. Thefront and facing portions are then secured.

The method of forming such piped openings comprises the steps of firstaccurately locating and forming a die-cut or slit in the portionopposite the partially formed or preformed piped opening in the otherportion of the garment. The flaps thus defined by the die-cut or slitare reversely folded inwardly of its respective portion and therespective portions reversely folded so that the flaps of the die cut orslit opening are disposed contiguous to the partially formed pipedopening in the other portion, and the respective front and facingportion then secured together.

PATENTEBJUHZBIQH $587,501

SHEET 1 UF 3 INVENTOR.

JOHNLCRUDEN JR.

ATTORNEY PATENTED JUH28|9Z| 3; 5 7,501

sum 2 UF 3 JOHN L. CFQ UBEW n.

ATTORNEY PATENTEDJUN28|97| 3.587.501

sum 3 OF 3 INVENTOR JOHN LCRUDEN n.

ATTORNEY METHOD OF FORMING A PIPED OPENING THE PROBLEM IN THE ART Themanufacture of various garments as, for example, suit jackets, coats,pants, trousers and the like, are frequently formed with the buttonholesand/or pockets which are usually referred to in the trade as pipedopenings. Heretofore the making of such piped openings required severalmanual operations which greatly increased the amount of time, labor andcost in forming such piped openings in the various garments. Generallythese piped openings or buttonholes were first partially formed by highspeed automatic machines of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.1,945,104. The openings formed by such machines were only partiallycompleted in that the underside thereof presented a raw and unfinishedappearance which was required to be traditionally hidden by anotherpiece of material. Such other piece of material is generally referred toin the art as a facing. However, the difficulty heretofore encounteredresided in the tedious and time-consuming manner in which thecomplementary opening in the facing and the securing of the facing tothe partially preformed opening formed in the front portion of thegarment was performed. Prior to this invention the opening in the facingto complement the mechanically formed opening in the front of thegannent was manually performed. Generally an operator was required tofold the facing portion of the garment into overlying relationship withthe front portion of the garment in which the partially formed openingwas made, and by sense of feel locate the position of the complementaryopening which was required to be formed in the facing. Thereafter thefacing was manually cut with a suitable cutting tool at the proper pointto define a complementary slit for determining the appropriately shapedopening. The flaps thus defined by the slit were reversely foldedmanually, and the facing with the complementary opening so formedreversely folded to cover the raw edges of the preformed opening formedin the front portion of the garment. The front and facing were thensecured to complete the forming of the finished piped opening in thegarment. The latter steps of manually locating the complementary openingin the facing, folding and securing of the facing onto the front of theraw machine fonned opening resulted in a tedious, time-consuming,laborious, and expensive procedure.

OBJECTS It is an object of this invention to provide an improved pipedopening construction which can be readily performed in a relativelysimple and expedient manner which will greatly minimize the time, effortand cost of forming such piped openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved method forforming piped openings in a gannent.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method for locating andforming of a complementary opening which was heretofore manuallyperformed in the making of piped openings.

Another object of this invention is to provide an method for formingpiped openings in a garment with a minimum of effort and a maximum ofproficiency.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved piped openingconstruction which is relatively simple and which can be readilyfabricated automatically.

Another object of this invention is to provide a piped openingconstruction requiring a minimum of operations to form the same.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION marginal portions or flaps defined therebyreversely folded out of the plane-of their respective portions. An,edging patch pro- I vided with a similar die-cut or slit and openingdefined thereby is secured to the formed opening in one of thecomplementary portions so that the respective openings therein are inalignment. The complementary portions of the garment are then folded andsecured with the edging patch disposed therebetween.

The method by which the foregoing piped opening is formed is by locatingthe positioning of the opening to be formed in one of the complementaryportions of the garment by reference to a partially preformed pipedopening formed in the other portion of the garment. This is accomplishedin the open or expanded position of the garment. The die-cut or slit isthen formed and the marginal portions reversely folded out of the planeof the garment material to define a formed opening complementing thepreformed opening in the other portion of the garment. The respectivegarment portions are then folded so that the complementary formedopening is disposed opposite the preformed opening in the other portionand the respective garment portions suitably secured together.

Other features and advantages will become more readily apparent whenconsidered in view of the drawings and description in which:

FIG. I is a fragmentary portion of a garment wherein the formation of apiped opening to be formed therein is illustrated in the initial stagethereof.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 illustrating a complementaryopening formed in the facing portion of the garment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a fragmentary portion of the garment as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 reversely folded along a fold line so that thecomplementary facing portion in which the opening was formed is opposedthe raw opening formed in the front portion of the garment.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 and illustrating means forsecuring the reversely folded portion of the garment in the foldedposition thereof.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view taken along line 5-5 onFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the die-cut slit formedin the facing portion of a garment in accordance with this invention. 1

FIG. 7 is an end elevation view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the facing portion illustrating the marginal orflap portions defined by the slit folded substantially normal to theplane of the garment.

FIG. 9 is an end view of the opening of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a view similar to that of FIG. 8 but illustrating the flapportion reversely folded beyond a plane normal to the plane of thegarment.

FIG. 11 is an end view of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a view similar to that of FIG. 10 but illustrating themarginal or flap portions of the opening reversely folded to overlie theplane of the garment to define the fonned opening in the facing.

FIG. 13 is an end view of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 illustrates a plan view of modified die-cut for defining amodified shaped opening.

FIG. 15 illustrates a plan view of an opening defined by diecut of FIG.14.

FIG. 16 illustrates another modified die-cut.

FIG. 17 illustrates an opening defined by the die-cut of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 illustrates another modified die-cut.

FIG. 19 illustrates a plan view of an opening defined by diecut of FIG.18.

FIG. 20 illustrates another modified die-cut.

FIG. 21 illustrates the shaped opening defined by die-cut 20.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, there is shown a fragmentary portion ofa garment or fabric 50 in which a completed piped opening 51 is to 'beformed, e.g. a buttonhole of a suit, jacket, coat and the like. Thisportion of the garment is commonly defined as the front portion 52 andan associated facing portion 53 and, which in the finished garment, thefacing portion is reversely folded about a fold line 54 to the rear ofthe front portion in the manner shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The facing 53 iscustomarily made of the same fabric as the front portion 52 of thegarment 50.

In the construction of piped openings it was heretofore customary tofirstform an opening 56 in one portion of the garment, e.g. the frontportion 52 to which an edging or piping patch 55 is secured. Generallythis opening 56 was preformed by suitable known means. However to formthe complementary opening 57 in the other portion or facing 53, it washeretofore necessary to fold the material 50 and by feel locate andmanually form the die slit or cut, and then effect the necessary fold todefine the complementary opening.

In the construction of the preformed opening 56 both the front portion52 and the edging patch 55 have similarly constructed die-cuts or slitsformed therein and the respective flaps 52A and 55A defined therebyreversely folded and generally secured by stitching 58 as illustrated inFIG. 5. As noted in FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the edging patch 55 is securedto the back side of the front portion 52 to define a raw or revealedportion. In the finished garment this raw or unfinished portion ishidden by reversely folding the facing of the garment into overlyingrelationship with the back side portion of the garment front 52. By thisinvention the complementary opening 57 opposite the preformed opening 56in the facing portion of the garment is made in a manner illustrated inFIGS. 6 through 13. With the front and facing portions 52 and 53 of thegarment 50 disposed in an expanded position as illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2, the complementary opening 57 formed in the facing'53 is initiatedby forming a slit 59 as shown in FIG. 6. This is attained by locatingthe cutting means directly opposite the preformed opening 56 in thefront portion 52 of the garment as will be hereinafter described so thatwhen the fabric 50 is folded the complementary opening 57 will liecontiguous to the preformed opening 57. As shown therein, it will benoted that the die-cut or slit 59 comprises a severed line the endportions of which are formed with short diverging slits as illustrated.To form the complementary opening 57 the marginal portions or flaps 53Aof the material circumscribing the die-cut or slit 59 are folded out ofthe plane of the fabric along fold lines F1, F2, F3, and F4, to aposition substantially normal to the plane of the garment portion 53 asillustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this position a substantiallyrectangular opening 56 is defined thereby. The flaps 53A thus displacedout of the plane of the garment portion 53 are further folded in thedirection illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, to a position wherein therespective flaps 53A are pressed against the inside surface of thefacing portion 53. With the complementary opening so formed in thefacing 53 of the garment, the facing is reversely folded along fold line54 onto the front of the material so that the marginal flaps 53Adefining the complementary opening 57 are disposed in-" contiguousrelationship to the patch 55 secured to the back surface of the frontportion 52 of the garment 50. Folding the facing 53 onto the front 52 inthe manner described, the opening 57 thus formed in the facing 53 isbrought in coincident relationship with the preformed opening 56 definedin the front portion 52. The facing and front portions 52, 53 may thenbe either permanently secured or temporarily secured depending upon thenature of the next desired operation. In FIG. 4 the front and facingportions 52, 53 are temporarily secured e.g. by means of a staple 60.Alternatively, the garment may be permanently secured as by sewing aboutthe circumference of the completely formed opening therein. In thealternative, front and facing portions 52, 53 may be permanently securedas by adhesively bonding one to the other. This may be attained byinterposing a suitable adhesive between the respective portions-5l, 52or by coating the back surface of the garment with a suitable heatand/or pressure sensitive adhesive.

In the finished opening 51, as illustrated in FIG. 5, it will be notedthat by reversely folding a marginal or flap portion defined by thedie-cuts or slits, that no raw edges are showing.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 13, the die-cut or slit 59 by whichthe various openings are initiated is such that a substantiallyrectangular opening is defined thereby e.g. opening 56 and 57. However,by varying the shape of the die-cut or slit, the finished openingdefined thereby may assume other desirable shapes. Particular referenceis made to FIGS. l4, l5, l6, 17, I8, 19, 20, and 21, illustratingdifferently shaped die-cuts or slits which will define differentlyshaped openings. FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate an I-I-shaped die-cut orslit 60 having the horizontal slit 60A extending between the opposedparallel slits 608 to define an opening 62, when the flaps 61 thereofare reversely folded to a position as indicated in FIG. 15, which issubstantially rectangular with pointed ends.

By providing an intersecting die-cut or slit 63 illustrated in FIG. 16,and reversely folding the respective flaps 64 defined thereby, a diamondshape opening 65 as illustrated in FIG. 17 is defined.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate a rectangular die-cut or slit 66 whichdefines a rectangular opening 67.

FIGS. 20 and 21 illustrate a die-cut or slit 68 for forming shapedopening 69. Die-cut or slit 68 is defined by an elongated single slit68A having adjacent one thereof a plurality of radially extending minorslits 68B centered about the end portion of the slit 68A. When therespective flaps 70 defined by respective slits are folded, in a mannerillustrated in FIG. 36, a substantially tear-shaped opening 68 isdefined thereby. It will become readily apparent that dependent upon theformation of the initial die-cut 0r slit, the size and shape of theopening may be varied accordingly in the finished garment.

The method for making the piped openings as herein defined comprisesessentially of the step of forming a die-cut or slit of desiredconfiguration in a portion of a garment e.g. the front portion 52 andreversely folding the flaps 52A defined thereby into overlyingrelationship onto the back side of the front. An edging flap or patch 55is similarly die-cut or slit and folded so that the flaps 55A definedare disposed contiguous to the corresponding flaps 52A circumscribingthe opening formed on the front 52 and the corresponding flaps 52A and55A suitably secured together as by stitching 58. A complementaryopening 57 is then formed in the facing portion of the garment. This isattained by disposing the front and facing portions 52, 53 of thegarment in an expanded position as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, andlocating of the position of the die-cut or slit to define the opening 57in the facing of the material directly opposite the formed opening 56 inthe front portion by reference to the position of the formed opening 56formed in the front and/or the fold line 54 about which the facing isreversely folded with respect to the front. A die-cut or slit 59 ofpredetermined configuration is formed in the facing directly oppositethe formed opening 57 in the front. With the die-cut or slit 59 thusformed, the flaps 53A circumscribing the die-cut or slit as best seen inFIGS. 7 and 8 are folded outwardly of the plane of the facing materialto a position substantially normal thereto as in FIGS. 8 and 9. Theflaps thus displaced are then reversely folded into contiguousrelationship onto the back side of the facing 53. With the opening 57 soformed in the facing, the facing 53 is reversely folded into contiguousrelationship to the front 52, so that the reversely folded flaps 53A ofthe facing 53 are disposed contiguous to the formed opening 56 in theedging patch 55 and the front 52. The facing is then secured in theassembled position thereof to define the completed piped opening 51.

The securing of the facing 53 to the front 52 may be provided bytemporary securing means as, for example, by stapling or by basting. Ifdesired, the front 52 may be permanently secured to the facing 53 bystitching a seam about the circumference of the opening 51. As analternative the facing 53 may be adhesively secured to the front 52 ofthe garment to provide the means for permanently securing the facing tothe front.

While the present invention has been described with respect to aparticular embodiment thereof, it will be understood that variations andmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope orthe invention.

We claim: 7

l. A method of completing the making of a bound opening in a garmenthaving a front portion and a complementary facing portion having apartially preformed opening located in the front portion thereofcomprising the steps of locating the position of a complementary openingto be formed on the facing portion of said garment cutting a slit in thefacing portion at the located position of the opening,

folding the marginal flaps defined by said slit out of the plane of thefacing portion and reversely disposing the flaps onto the facingportion,

and reversely-folding the facing portion with the opening thus formedtherein onto said front portion whereby the reversely folded flaps aboutthe opening formed in said facing portion are disposed contiguous thepreformed opening in said front portion, and securing said facingportion to said-front portion.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of locating theposition of said opening in said facing portion occurs while the frontand facing portions are in the expanded position of the garment oneither side of the fold line between said facing portion and frontportion.

3. The method as defined in claim I and including the step of pressingthe marginal flaps in the reversely folded position thereof to saidfacing portion prior to folding the facing portion onto the frontportion.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of securing thefacing portion to said front portion includes stapling the facingportion to the front portion.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the step of securing thefacing portion to said front includes adhesively securing the facingportion to the front portion.

6. The method as defined in claim 2 wherein the step of securing thefacing portion to the front portion includes sewing the facing portionto the front portion along a seam circumscribing the opening definedtherein.

7. The method of completing a finished opening formed in a garmenthaving a front portion and a complementary facing portion wherein anedging patch has been secured about an opening formed in a front portionof a gannent to define a partially preformed opening, the stepscomprising supporting the garment so that the front and facing portionsthereof are extended in an expanded manner to either side of a fold linetherebetween with the preformed opening formed on the front beingupwardly exposed,

locating theposition of the corresponding opening to be formed in thefacing portion by reference to the preformed opening formed in the frontportion,

forming a slit inthe facing portion at the located position,

folding the flaps defined by said slit upwardly out of the plane of thefacing portion, and reversely folding said flaps in overlyingrelationship onto the inner surface of said facing portion,

maintaining said folded flaps in the reversely folded position thereof,

folding said facing portion into overlying relationship to said frontportion so that the reversely folded flaps are disposed contiguous tothe edging patch in the fold position of said facing portion and saidfront portion, and securing said front portion and facing portiontogether.

